Even with declining passenger revenue through the 1950s and 1960s, the B&O Passenger Department relied heavily on trains such as the Metropolitan Special because of the revenue generated by moving mail and express packages. However, in 1967, the United States Postal Service dealt a heavy blow to the B&O, canceling most of its lucrative post office contracts. With such a drop in revenue, the fate of the Metropolitan Special was sealed. This train was gone before the first day of Amtrak, May 1, 1971.